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June 20, 2005
Eight hundred owner-operators have
pledged to join the Teamsters’ first owner-operator hiring hall when it opens in
July in Miami, and the union plans to open more locals at East Coast ports and
Midwest rail yards during peak cargo season.
Jim Stewart, who works with the union’s port division, said Miami will be the
union’s test site. “It will take a large number of drivers to make it happen,”
Stewart said.
Organizers hope to open a second hall at Charleston’s port soon after that,
where up to 450 owner-operators have signed pledge cards.
A total of about six carriers have said they will hire Teamsters if the locals
open, the union will name those companies before August, he said.
“Some companies are willing to open up office in ports that don’t have terminals
there because they see advantage of a large, stable workforce,” Stewart said.
“Sometimes it’s easier for an out-of-town company to take the first step.”
Teamsters plan to open additional locals in other East Coast ports. They expect
to do the same in Midwest rail yards before December, possibly starting with
Detroit.
Owner-operators are leased as “independent contractors” and do not fall under
the authority of the National Labor Relations Act, which protects employees’
right to organize and collectively bargain.
Court cases have yield mixed results when owner-operators have taken non-union
carriers to court to claim employee status, he said.
Teamsters requires its members to work for only union companies and charges a
maximum monthly due of 2.5 times a trucker’s hourly wage.
Ports have become more volatile over the past two years, with shutdowns
occurring nationwide, especially when diesel prices spike. Owner-operators
complain of unsafe equipment, excessive wait time, low wages and unfair charges
by carriers.
In June, several hundred owner-operators effectively shut down the Port of Miami
after obtaining a two-week permit to protest.
Port representatives enjoined the truckers from protesting, but once the
truckers returned to work, port officials and operators of the two largest
marine terminals sought punitive damages and a permanent injunction to prevent
future shutdowns.
Miami City Commission Chairman Tomas Regalado headed a blue ribbon panel that
was appointed to investigate the situation. The panel’s February report
recommended that carriers reclassify owner-operators as employees.
In April, Miami-Dade County and Universal Terminal withdrew their lawsuit in
April, and the remaining plaintiff, Port of Miami Terminal Operating Co.,
followed suit in May. POMTOC senior manager Chris Morton said the company would
restructure to include bi-monthly meetings and a "Rapid Response Desk" for
complaints filed by truckers.
"As we finish the reconstruction of our terminal facilities to create quicker,
more efficient turn times for the container trucks, we are pleased to announce a
new structure to improve communications and more quickly resolve problems with
the truckers," Morton said. "We view the trucking industry as an essential
partner.”
Teamsters signed its first new port contract in two decades this month with
Maritech of Long Beach, Calif., which is a subsidiary of Carrix Inc.,
An information meeting for owner-operators interested in joining Teamsters is
scheduled June 25 at the International Longshoremen's Association Local 1422.
The article originally appeared on the eTrucker.com
web site on June 13, 2005, and was written by Jill Dunn. |
